lewis



UNITED STATES PATENT @BEIGE WILLIAM LEVIS AND IVILLIAM H. LEVIS, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPI-IC-PLATE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,738, dated March 8, 1857.

T all whom t may concern Be it known that we, IVILLIAM Lewis and IVILLIAM H. LEWIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented, made,

and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Photographic Glasses, &c.; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation l0 of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is a plan of our improved holder with a glass in place. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Similar marks of reference indicate the same parts.

Our invention as distinguished from all other plate holders or vises consists in the manner of attaching the slide to the base and in the means of adjusting the sliding jaw.

In the drawing a., is a circular base fastened by screws 2, to the table or any suitable bench.

is a cap plate attached to the base a, by a hub c passing through the top plate of said base a, and (l, is a helical spring around the said hub c, secured in place by the cap e,

and screw f.

g, is a nut in the hub c, taking the screw f.

z', is a washer to the said spring (Z, and 7L, is a washer to the screw head f.

1 l are ratchet teeth taking the tooth 7, in the cap plate Z), it will be seen that on moving the said cap plate b, the helical spring d, tends to keep the ratchet teeth l, l, and tooth 7, locked together, thereby preventing any 40 slipping of the said cap plate, but allowing the cap plate and parts attached to be turned into the desired position for the convenience of t-he operator.

7c, is a slide attached to the plate o, by

screws 3, 3, whereby the said slide and cap plate will move together as one piece; and

Z, is a fixed jaw cast with the slide la, al-

though the said aw might be made separate and attached.

n, is a jaw moving on the slide k, and retained thereon by guides r, passing beneath the edge of said slide le.

g', is a latch sliding in a slot in the slide 7e,

l and retained therein b y a pin 5, beneath said slide and G, (3, are notches made in ribs running lengthwise of the slide which notches G, 6, are at the required distances apart and take projections on the sides of the sliding latch g.

j), is a helical spring in a cylinder cast in the jaw n, and 0, is an adjusting screw, acting to regulate the power of the spring y).

s, is a handle for drawing back the jaw nf.

m, m, are bars attached to the opposite faces of the jaws Z, and n, by clamp screws Ll, in elongated holes in said bars, for adjusting the depth in the jaw required to receive different thickness of glass or daguerreotype plate holders, and the upper edge is formed as a double bevel so as to prevent any dirt, that may lodge in the angle, from coming in contact with the glass or holder, and interfering with the same taking its proper bearing.

The inode of using this holder is as follows. The sliding latch is dropped into the notch allotted to the given size of glass or holder and the jaw n, is drawn back by the handle s, and the spring p, takes the latch f, and if said spring tends to force the sliding jaw toward the fixed jaw with too much power so as to risk breaking the glass, the force of said spring is released by the screw 0, or strengthened in cases where more holding fo-rce is required, and the parts are adjusted to any slight radiation in the size of the glass or holder.

This holder is simple, strong, and cheap in construction, and is adapted to any size or thickness of holder or plate, and the construction of the base gives opportunity for turning the slide 7c, and plate around into the position desired in cleaning the glass or plate.

The teeth between the plate Z2, and base a, might be dispensed with and the friction induced by the spring d alone be depended upon for holding the parts correctly in position, and the extent of power and friction from said spring is regulated by the screw IVe do not claim a sliding jaw in itself, neither do we claim adapting said sliding jaw to different sizes of glasses or holders by stops or notches taking said moving jaw, neither do we claim retaining articles between the jaws by power derived from a spring; neither do we claim turning the vise or holder upon its base into any desired position, as this has before been accoinplished by a screw connecting the base and vise; but

vWhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. Constructing the hollow base a, and hub c, of the cap plate b, in such a manner as to receive the friction spring (l, screw f, and cap e, for regulating the power with which said plates are clamped together substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. Te claim regulating the force with which the spring p, tends to clamp any glass or holder between the jaws Z and 11 by means of the set screw o, acting substanber, 1856.

VILLM. LEWIS. WV. H. LEWIS. Witnesses LEMUEL W. SERRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD. 

